In Louisiana, advocates clash over Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade

Reaction was swift and forceful in Louisiana after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, eliminating the constitutional right to abortion.

Today's ruling triggers a Louisiana law that immediately outlaws abortion and forces all three abortion clinics in the state to close — Delta Clinic of Baton Rouge, Women's Health Care Center in New Orleans and Hope Medical Group in Shreveport.

Drug-induced abortions, which now account for about half of all abortions, are also illegal. There are no legal exceptions for rape or incest, although there is an exception to save the life of the pregnant mother.

The ruling : Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, eliminating constitutional right to abortion

Sarah Zagorski, communications director for Louisiana Right to Life, said she and other advocates for elimination of abortion in the U.S. still have more work to do.

“Even at the moment (Roe) is overturned we haven’t removed abortion culture,” she said. “We must continue educating the public about the harm to patients, how it is demeaning to the medical community. We had almost five decades of Roe that has marked a stain on the conscience of Americans. … Our goal is to make abortion unthinkable in the mind of any Louisiana citizen.”

Zagorski said her organization’s statistics show that 7,444 abortions were performed in Louisiana in 2021.

Here's what it means in Louisiana: Abortion is illegal immediately statewide after Supreme Court ruling

Louisiana's American Civil Liberties Union called the ruling shameful, saying it will set off a chain reaction with states banning abortion and criminalizing essential care throughout entire regions of the country. Half the states are expected to ban abortion, denying 36 million women and other people who can become pregnant the fundamental right to decide for themselves whether and when to become a parent, the group said. That includes nearly one million women — and other people who can become pregnant — in Louisiana.

“The Supreme Court ruling is an unprecedented attack on women’s rights and reproductive freedom,” said ACLU of Louisiana Executive Director Alanah Odoms. “After today’s decision, Louisiana politicians are getting ready to turn back the clock nearly 50 years on our fundamental rights and force women and everyone who can become pregnant into a second-class status."

Here are other reactions from across Terrebonne, Lafourche and Louisiana:

Catholic Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux

A spokesman said the diocese is not issuing a response to the decision at this time. However, he said the diocese stands behind a statement released Friday morning by the U.S. Conference of Bishops.

“This is a historic day in the life of our country, one that stirs our thoughts, emotions and prayers,” the conference statement reads, in part. “For nearly 50 years, America has enforced an unjust law that has permitted some to decide whether others can live or die; this policy has resulted in the deaths of tens of millions of preborn children, generations that were denied the right to even be born. ...”

"We thank God today that the Court has now overturned this decision. We pray that our elected officials will now enact laws and policies that promote and protect the most vulnerable among us."

Planned Parenthood

"With this ruling, millions of Louisianans have lost access to safe, legal abortion and their fundamental human right to control their body, health, and life," said Dr. Petrice Sams-Abiodun of Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast. "We know, Black, Latino and Indigenous people, and people living with low incomes and in rural areas, will feel the impact of this ruling most severely because these communities have long faced barriers to essential health care due to structural racism and discrimination. While we have seen the writing on the wall for decades, it is no less devastating.

"Planned Parenthood believes every single person deserves access to sexual and reproductive health care no matter their income, state of residence, immigration status or ZIP code. Our health centers remain open, and we will continue to do everything we can to ensure all people get the sexual and reproductive health care they need.”

Congressman Steve Scalise, R-Metairie

"This historic ruling for life is a day to celebrate, and after we celebrate this victory, pro-life Americans across the country will continue our work in legislative bodies to encourage a culture that protects life," said Scalise, whose southeast Louisiana district includes southern Terrebonne and Lafourche.

“After the unprecedented leak of a draft Supreme Court opinion in May, Senate Democrats pushed for a vote on a bill that would legalize abortion through all nine months of pregnancy," he said. "Despite the efforts from abortion extremists, my Republican colleagues and I are committed to upholding the sanctity of life, protecting the unborn, and putting compassion and care at the center of our legislative efforts to help pregnant women bring more life into this world."

Louisiana Democratic Party

"Today’s decision will undoubtedly disrupt the lives of women and families across Louisiana," the party said in a prepared statement. "It will trigger laws that resemble Louisiana HB 813, which attempted to criminalize contraception and in-vitro fertilization, to go into effect all over the country. The Republicans pushing these laws do so under a pro-life banner but do not put forth any policies that support the viability of human life.

"We are in uncharted waters, and there are many consequences of this decision that will become apparent later. In the meantime, Louisiana Democrats will do what we have always done: advance policies that actually support families and empower our communities to make our democracy work for them."

U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La.

“Today’s decision recognizes that an unborn child has a right to life,” Cassidy said. “Being pro-life means being pro-mothers, pro-babies and pro-healthy futures — a philosophy I carry with me in the Senate. This is a deeply emotional issue for many Americans, no matter which side one stands, but it is now up to individual states to enact their own policies.”

This week, Cassidy introduced the Stop Supreme Court Leakers Act, legislation that criminalizes individuals who leak confidential information from the Supreme Court. The act, he said, would require a $10,000 fine and impose up to a 10-year prison sentence for those convicted of leaking confidential information from the Supreme Court.

Louisiana Coalition for Reproductive Freedom

“We are all healthier and our communities are stronger when we each get to manage our health and control our bodies and when we all get to do so with dignity," said Jessica Frankel, coalition coordinator. "We are horrified by today’s decision. We can cry and scream and rage. Do what you need to and then come back to the fight. Now is the time for action. And we are ready. This is about our autonomy, our futures and our liberation. We need to be in this for the long haul. And we will be."

— John DeSantis is a correspondent for the Houma Courier and Thibodaux Daily Comet. Keith Magill is the newspapers' executive editor.

This article originally appeared on The Courier: Supreme Court abortion ruling renews debate among Louisiana activists